Ferns

These are tricky little plants. Most people think ferns need a great deal of water; so when the fern starts to get brown & crispy in the middle, they give it more water. This is the exact opposite of what you should do. Boston ferns, Kimberly queen ferns, angel ferns, asparagus ferns all loose their vibrant green color when they need water and get brown & crispy in the middle when they are over watered. Ferns enjoy being moist but not soggy! They need plenty of room for their fronds to grow; with many ferns, when the frond end hits a table or wall it stops growing. Leather leafed ferns are easier to grow inside than feather leafed ferns.

LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE:  They prefer indirect light, northern exposure is best; never place a fern in direct sunlight or even in a southern or western window. Ideal temperature would be 60-70 degrees during the day and about 10 degrees cooler at night.

WATER:  Soil must be kept moist at all times, but not soggy.

FERTILIZER:  Fertilize only once a month and dilute the fertilizer to 1/2 the recommended concentration. Use a heavily organic potting mixture and never allow a fern to sit in water; the roots will rot.